Shire’s insurance provider will cover $31,000 fine

The Shire of Denmark’s insurance provider will cover the $31,000 penalty handed to the Shire last month for a series of breaches relating to its Ocean Beach lime quarry.

The Department of Mines and Petroleum issued the fine, citing breaches regarding the environmental management plan, making operational changes before receiving consent and inappropriate treatment of topsoil.

Shire chief executive Bill Parker said the Shire would only be required to pay an excess of $2000.

“The coverage of the financial penalty by our insurance provider ensures that there will be minimal impact on the Municipal Budget for 2017-18,” he said.

“Upon notification of the penalty our infrastructure services team worked closely with our insurer to ensure all necessary documentation was provided to progress the claim.”

The Shire was forced to close the mine in October last year after coming under scrutiny from the Environmental Protection Authority, the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and the DMP.

The three authorities outlined a number of “non-compliance issues”, including exceeding the allowable excavation depth, invalid Aboriginal heritage surveys and failure to submit updated environment and mining management plans.